Title page for ETD etd-05222007-091306

A study of industrial arts education programs in Virginia for blacks, 1951-1969

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Vocational and Technical Education

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name

Title

Hunt, Thomas C.

Committee Co-Chair

Pinder, Charles A.

Committee Co-Chair

Asche, F. Marion

Committee Member

Creamer, Donald G.

Committee Member

Zody, Richard E.

Committee Member

Keywords

Industrial arts Virginia.

African Americans Education Virginia.

Date of Defense

1986-08-15

Availability

restricted

Abstract

The famous decision of the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, 347 US. 483 (1954), ruled that racial segregation in public education was constitutional. This decision was met with resistance from many of Virginia's white citizens, because the ruling attempted to alter the state's dual system of education.

The education of white and colored students (as
they were called in the 1950's) was based on the
philosophy of "separate but equal ..." This study offers
a historical analysis of industrial arts education
programs offered to blacks from 1951-69, as the state
moved to comply with the Brown decision. Special
attention is directed to the leadership role played by
Dr. William T. Reed, an itinerant teacher-trainer based
at Virginia State College, the Commonwealth's
land-grant institution for blacks. Industrial arts
activities for blacks centered around the land-grant
institution in Virginia as in other states.

As a result of integration called for in Brown many
of the black schools have closed, their names have
changed, and in many cases high schools have converted
to junior high and combination schools. The
organizations for teachers and students have merged
with their white counterparts or have been
discontinued. Four specific questions served as the
framework for the investigation and were used to draw
conclusions to the findings.